


Not the Absence of Conflict

by Kirrae



Series: Too High A Price [2]
Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Because I'm a nerd like that, Civil War feels I never wanted, Gen, Major comics influence, Now with bonus features, Yay Marvel, life ruiners
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-13
Updated: 2016-02-13
Packaged: 2018-05-20 03:05:50
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,119
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5989843
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kirrae/pseuds/Kirrae
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He looks pompous as always. Ruffled but still stupidly blond, blue-eyed, wholesome American. The guy who defended JFK’s assassin. The guy who chose his childhood best friend over the safety of the world. She wishes she could hate him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Not the Absence of Conflict

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Alexandria_Reid_Winchester](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Alexandria_Reid_Winchester/gifts).



> Sequel to that Civil War fic I wrote forever ago. Thanks trailers, I didn't need my life ruined or anything.

> “ _Are you sure you want to punch your way out of this one?_ ”

It starts like this:

> _“I wouldn’t do this if it wasn’t important”_

They’re both in front of her. Two super soldiers. One straight out of the 40s, the other a mess of brainwashing, half-remembered lives, and cold metal plates.

She can’t think, can barely react to the two of them as they hammer blows onto her armor, tossing the shield between them like they’ve choreographed this dance for years. It wouldn’t surprise her if they had, at this point.

Not much surprises her anymore when it comes to them. Ever since Rhodey-

No. 

Can’t think of that. Not now.

She has to survive this. That’s all she knows.

The shield slams down on the faceplate of her armor, a metal fist follows, and she curls down trying to minimize the force of that fist, but before she can recover, the edge of the shield cracks down hard on the back of her neck.

Then Barnes’ hand is on the reactor. Pulling.

Its not part of her chest anymore, but it would leave her defenseless.

Barnes’ hand slips, metal on metal isn’t a good grip. He grabs her shoulder for leverage - she tries to pry him off but she can’t take her eyes off Rogers either- and then its out.

The suit powers down around her. Barnes rips off the faceplate, most of the gorget coming with it. Rogers has the shield again, raised high over his head like he’s going to bring it down on her neck. That much force, on an already weakened spot of armor-

She looks him dead in the eyes and knows. Steve Rogers is going to kill her. And there’s nothing she can do to stop him.

* * *

Someone pulls them off her.  She’s still not quite sure who, they were the only ones in that building who the hell could have-

It doesn’t matter. They have Rogers in custody. Barnes is in the wind, but they’ll catch him. They always do.

She’s standing outside the door to the holding cell they have Rogers in. He isn’t Steve anymore. He hasn’t been for a while. _“He’s my friend.”_ She hears Rogers in her head, saying it like that should mean something to her. It does, but not what he wanted. Of that she’s certain. “ _So was I_.”

She has to go inside, she knows that. They have to question him. But she isn’t sure she’s the right man for the job. He did just try to kill her.

She goes in anyway, head held high. She will not let him get to her, not again. She’s wearing the armor, but she’s hardly out of it these days. Not that it matters with the bleeding-edge tech, she is always armored. Even when she’s not.  

“Hello, Captain.” Calm, cool, professional. _Pepper_. 

He looks pompous as always. Ruffled but still stupidly blond, blue-eyed, wholesome American. The guy who defended JFK’s assassin. The guy who chose his childhood best friend over the safety of the world. She wishes she could hate him. 

“Stark.”

 _Asshole_.

“We have questions.”

“Oh, I’ll bet you do.” If it wouldn’t damage her hands so badly, she’d punch him in the jaw. But they can’t have him looking like a martyr. Not that its easy. Even torn the stupid spangly costume, the dirt smudged on his stupid perfect cheekbones, his pathetic devotion to a deeply unstable victim of decades of torture and brainwashing, even when he looked dirty and human and small, Steve Rogers was a stupid goddamn hero.

This. Was not going to go well.

* * *

 

“For the guy who opposed the Ultron project so passionately, you’ve sure changed your tune pretty fast.”

“I don’t like what you’re implying.”

“I’m not implying anything.”

“Turning your back on your friends, becoming a government pawn, you’ve sure done a lot of changing yourself Stark.”

“You aren’t just ignoring the law out of protest, Rogers. Civil Disobedience is something I get. Believe me, I understand it. But its not civil when you put countless civilian lives at stake. It’s not disobedience when you appoint yourself arbiter of what is and isn’t allowed. You know who that reminds me of Rogers? That reminds me of a schoolyard bully. Your friend may have had all his choices taken from him, he may have been a pawn used by Hydra, but he has valuable information we need, and most importantly, he needs help. He can’t get that while running from everyone he managed to piss off over the last 70 years.”

“You think they’d be willing to help him? Are you even listening to yourself, Stark?”

“No. They won’t. The US Government sees Barnes as an unpredictable, highly dangerous, immortal assassin Cap. To them, he’s just a weapon. But you could have gone to your team. You could have _trusted_ us.”

“Oh, like you trusted us with The Mandarin?”

“I’m saying you should practice what you preach, old man.”

“Bucky doesn’t need _your_ help Stark. What the hell would you know-“

“About being seen as a weapon? About being held captive, tortured, and told to do what they tell you or they’ll start taking it out on your only support system? You think I don’t know what its like to be a prisoner of war, Captain? Because it sounds to me like you’re the only one on this team who doesn’t know at least some of what he’s been through. Sometimes people need to be held accountable. Even if they aren’t.”

“Well then, why don’t you turn yourself in, Stark?”

“You must not have been paying attention while searching for your boyfriend, but I did.”

* * *

 

Counting compressions, breathing, 30 - 2- 30 - 2 - 30

It shouldn’t be familiar. But this is the second time in as many days that she’s been in this position.

And all she can think is _not today, damn it_.

She can hear sirens approaching but the chaos on the courthouse steps mean the paramedics may not get to him in time. She can’t lose anyone else, not after-

* * *

 

Barnes has a gun to her head. Again.

_This is getting to be a bit too familiar._

“Hello again, Sergeant.”

“What did you do.” Its growled more into her ear than asked.

“Check your sources, Barnes. That had nothing to do with me.”

“No, but you made it a show. Had to have the glory, didn’t you Stark. Had to make a statement.”

“Maybe. Doesn’t make a damn difference, Barnes. He’s dead.”

“Its your fault.”

“I’ll have to live with that. Unless you plan to change that?”

She wakes up hours later, on the floor, bruised and alone.

She’ll have to get used to that. Again.


End file.
